Who's Ben?
by khhhaw9cl
Summary: 7 is worried about whether their efforts meant anything. Its keeping her from sleeping and one night she leaves to find answers. Instead, she finds another stitchpunk who seems a little odd. Is it really one of us?
1. Chapter 1

Who's Ben?

Chapter 1: The Creator's Lab

I do not own 9, 7, 3, or 4!

**This takes place immediately after the battle was won. The four survivors have just now returned home.**

* * *

The steady rain tapped on the library's roof and trickled in through the holes to form puddles. The four stitchpunks sought refuge deep inside; in the globe once held atop the hands of statues. The twins scurried around nervously, flashing their lights at each other while 7 and 9 sat side by side, observing the painting of the world's past. "Do you think it will ever be this beautiful again?" 7 asked sadly.

"Over time," 9 started, " the rain will bring life back. I'm sure it will look this way again." He stood and extended his hand to help her up.

"Maybe we should do something to help it along." 7 suggested as she stood. "I'm sure the Creator has something in his lab that could help."

"We need to give the rain some time. It will do its job." He reassured as he grabbed her hand. "Come on. We should rest." The couple withdrew from the painting and headed further back to get some "sleep".

7 found it difficult to rest not knowing whether all their hard work would bear fruit. She had to know if the world _would_ change. She had to know for sure. These thoughts drove her as she left the library and disappeared into the rain to search for answers.

9 awoke the next morning and immediately realized 7's absents. "7?" He searched the whole library for her but saw no sign. The twins woke up to 9 shaking them wildly. "7 is missing." 3 and 4 looked at each other worriedly. "We need to go look for her. I think I know where she might be..."

* * *

7 stared up at the Creator's laboratory. "There needs to be some answers in there." She slipped thought the door that was left ajar and continued towards the room where 9 awakened. Without one glance at the Creator's dead body, she instantly began searching.

On the floor, she found nothing but diagrams of the Great Machine and the stitchpunks. She pulled herself up onto the desk and started rummaging through the books and papers strewn about. One diagram confused her; a picture of another stitchpunk. One she'd never seen before. "Hm..." Nothing else on the desk interested her. She looked around and spotted another room further back. She leaped off the desk and started towards the door. It was easy to open and she took one step only to see it was just a closet. "Nothing!" Angrily, she kicked a broom that was propped up against the wall. The broom fell over onto a shelf and knocked its contents onto the floor. 7 stepped back to avoid a shoe box which landed beside her. The box rolled off towards the Creator and its lid fell off, revealing a small five-fingered hand. "Huh?" She curiously approached the box and stood in front of the small body inside. "Another one of us?" She turned the blue stitchpunk over and saw its number on its back. "Number 10, huh?" The body didn't move. "Is he... alive?"

"7!" She spun around to see 9, 3, and 4 approaching her. "7 are you alright?" 9 stopped as he saw the shoe box. "Who's that?"

"I... don't know." 7 turned to the body again. "Its number is 10. That much I know. I found a diagram of it on the desk. It might help to have it." The twins were way ahead of her and were already cataloguing it. They hopped off the desk with the picture in their hands. They hustled over to 7 flashing their lights into her eyes. "What is it?" They glanced at the body then back at her. "You want us to take it with us?" The twins nodded and held up the diagram, flashing at it. "Oh." 7 looked over at 9 who didn't seem to want anything to do with this. "What do you say, 9?"

"I say we leave it here." He crossed his arms in mid-sentence. "It's been here this whole time and it can stay here."

"What? We should help it."

"It's obviously dead. Don't you see?" He gestured toward the motionless body. "What's the point?" 3 and 4 shook their heads in disagreement. They held the picture to 9's face.

"They know something. We should trust them." 7 worriedly looked into 9's eyes.

"... If you say so. But, I don't see how we can help it." They put the stitchpunk back into the box and worked together to carry back to their "home".

* * *

The next day, the twins presumed their cataloguing of the picture and number 10. 7 sat beside them, wondering what they knew about it. "3, 4." They turned at the sound of their names. "What about it made you want to take it with us?" The twins looked into each other's eyes, flashing randomly. 4 pulled 3 over to a wall and 3's eyes projected the diagram. 7 stared at it, confused. "I already saw the picture. What about it?" The projection zoomed into a bunch of words near the bottom of the paper. "Huh?" 7 tried to read it as it zoomed but it wasn't clear enough. Once it came into sight, she gasped. "To Complete Us?" She looked at the twins in disbelief. "What does that mean? To Complete Us?" The twins scurried over to the body. They opened its snaps and pulled out a talisman surprisingly similar to the one that had awakened The Machine. 7 reflexively jumped away in fear.

"What is that?" 9 asked as he entered the room. "What are you guys doing?" He snatched the amulet from the twin's hands. "Do you want to start this all over again?" 3 and 4 pried at his hand trying to get the talisman back.

"Give it back to them, 9. They know what they're doing." They stared at 9 sadly.

"But..." His grip weakened and the twins took the talisman. "Wait." They placed it on the floor and started pressing the symbols written on it. Suddenly, it popped open with a green glow. 3 and 4 pushed the others behind a book and peeked out from the side. "What's going on?" 9 and 7 also peeked at the amulet as the glow intensified. A green stream shot out from the talisman and slipped into the stitchpunk's open chest.

"Whoa..." The light diminished until it completely disappeared. "Is it safe now?" The four of them emerged from behind the book and approached the body.

"Is it alive?" 3 and 4 ran over and catalogued it. They nodded. "Really? It isn't moving..."

"Ugh..." 9 and 7 gasped as the blue stitchpunk sat up. "Who are you calling _it_?"


	2. Chapter 2

Who's Ben

Chapter 2: Number 10

I still don't own 9, 7, 3, or 4!

A/N: I'm sorry for all the grammatical errors in the first chapter. I will try to do better this time.

* * *

Slowly, 10 got to his feet. He curiously observed his hand's motions, much like 9 did when he first woke up. After a while, he realized his chest was open and he proceeded to close up his the snaps, but he left the top one open. "Huh... Never thought I'd wake up someplace as dingy as this." He surveyed the library. "Sup, dudes?"

"Dudes?" 7 whispered as she glanced at 9, confused.

"What? Can't talk?" 10 shoved his hands into his pockets. "I know I'm more advanced than you guys, but did the Creator really forget to give you voice boxes?"

"_You're_ more advanced than_ us_?" 9 asked as he approached the blue stitchpunk. "How?"

"Uh, I dunno." He slowly pulled his hands out of his pockets. "Five fingers instead of four," his eyes zoomed in and out like a camera, "awesome zoomy eyes," he stroked his bushy, blond 'hair', "and not to mention, the best hair-doo ever." He crossed his arms haughtily. "Not that you guys aren't cool, too. I like those little dudes. They're all mysterious with the hoods and stuff." 9 and 7 looked at the twins then back at each other.

"Right..." 7 started, "But, um... what are you made of?" She poked 10's arm.

"That's an easy one. Denim. It's durable, you know." He struck a couple tough poses. "What are you made of? Looks like potato sacks to me."

"Don't be ridiculous. We aren't made of potato sacks. We're made of burlap." She pulled at 9's 'skin'. "It's durable, too."

"Really? I didn't know that." 10 tapped 9 who stepped away angrily.

"Well... now that we got to know each other," 9 began, "we can-

"We didn't get to know each other yet. I told you about me. What about you?" 10 looked at him expectantly.

"Yeah... I'm 9, as you can see from the giant 9 on my back. And this is 7." She waved nervously at 10. "And those two over there are 3 and 4. _They're_ the ones who can't speak." The twins, who had took to hiding behind the book again after 10 awoke, hustled over to him and started cataloging. They lifted his arms and flashed their lights into his eyes.

"Whoa! Cool it!" 10 waved his arms to ward the twins off and stood in a karate position. "What are they doing?"

"They catalogue things. That's how they learn. They did the same thing to me." He pointed at 10, silently instructing the twins to continue what they had started.

"That's a little weird."

10 allowed them to do their thing and when they finished, they scurried off to the back of the library. "Alrighty then." He glanced at 9 and 7 who were holding hands, once again staring at the portrait. "Ooooohh. You guys like each other? Ha ha..."

"What?" They blurted out in unison.

"What are you talking about?" 9 asked shakily.

"You know what I mean." 10 leaned in and winked at him. "She's a nice catch, man. Hold onto her"

"Huh? Now I'm really lost." 9 scratched his head. Now that he thought about it, he did feel _something_ when he was around 7. He didn't know what it meant. Holding hands was just an instinctive action that that went along with those feelings.

"Whatever, man." 10 shuffled off to the back with the twins.

7 worriedly stared at 9 who was standing silent, looking off into space. She let go of his hand and contemplated on the things that 10 had said. It didn't make sense. _Did _shelike 9? She didn't think of it in that way. Everything that occurred between them kind of just happened, she thought. She saved him and he saved her. Was this a reason _like_ someone? What exactly _is _liking. She sauntered back with 10 and the twins, leaving 9 to contrive his own theories for his feelings.

* * *

I know this chapter is a little weird, but I'm stemming off the idea that the stitchpunks have emotions, they just don't understand them like humans do. It'll make sense later. I've gotta keep it a secret. XP


	3. Chapter 3

Who's Ben?

Chapter 3: The Meeting

* * *

"Wake up!" 10's eyes slowly opened as he groggily stood. He leaned up against a book and yawned.

"What...? No, 5 more minutes..." He went to lay back down but was immediately stopped by 9.

"We are holding a meeting and you need to be there." 9 grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the back of the globe. It had been cleared out in order to be used as a gathering place. "Alright. Everyone's here." 9 took his place atop a small book in the center.

"Okay, everybody." 7 jumped onto the book with 9. "This is a very important matter."

"We've come across another one of us who had been sealed away for years." He pointed at 10 who was still a bit sleepy. "How do we know there aren't more?"

"9 and I have decided that we should search the Creator's lab and see what else we can find." 7 glanced around at everyone. "How does that sound to you?" 3 and 4 could barely contain their excitement. The twins' love of new things always made them more than willing for things like this. Their lights flashed happily as they nodded in agreement.

"10? What do you think?" 9 asked as he stepped off his 'pedestal'.

"Sure. I mean, why not? Sounds great. Let's go. But, first, a short nap." He slumped over and collapsed. The twins ran to him, concerned.

"What's wrong with him?" 7 leaped off the book to approach him. "Why did he pass out?" 3 and 4 poked and prodded him, trying to get him to wake up. 4 tapped his eye and it opened.

"Oh, man..." He moaned as he managed to get up. "What happened?"

"Uh, you just kind of fainted." 9 answered. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah... I think." He looked around at the library and all the stitchpunks. "Oh, I remember you guys." He started to laugh. "Dang, I'm sorry for how I acted when I first woke up. It must have been the initial re-boot or something." 7 and 9 looked at each other, confused. "I'm usually pretty modest."

"What do you mean the initial re-boot? That didn't happen to me." 9 looked at him suspiciously.

"Yeah, well, I was awakened in a different way than you wasn't I?" He pulled the talisman out from his pocket. "This thing was made as a back up. I remember what the Creator told me. He said-"

"Wait! The Creator? You met the Creator?!" The four stitchpunks' eyes widened.

"Yeah, of course. Not to be vain, but like I said before, I'm more advanced than you guys. The Creator awakened me in order to be sure I would work. I was so different from the rest of you dudes that he didn't think I was reliable. He stuffed this thing into my inner workings and told me it was a back up. And with that, he shut me off. I guess he put some of his soul inside of it so that it could awaken me later." He opened his snaps and shoved the talisman back in, for safe keeping.

"W-wait." 9 stuttered. "I thought I was the last one he was able to make before he died."

"Oh, you were. Since he was unsure about my reliability, he made you. He reverted back to his original way of making you guys to be sure you would work out."

"So, wait!" 7 shouted. "That means you were made before 9?"

"Yup." 10 answered, matter-of-factly.

"Then, why am I 9 and you 10? Shouldn't we be the other way around?"

"C'mon. I think we should do what you guys said. Let's snoop around the Creator's lab. I have nothing else to tell you, man." He stepped outside into the weak rain, the twins following close behind him.

"But..."

"We'll find answers there." 7 assured as she patted his back. "10 has his reasons for not telling you more."

* * *

The stitchpunks stood outside the Creator's home. They huddled together to make a plan. "Alright. We are here on account of our suspicion that there may be others of us in there." 7 stated.

"9 was the last one. I can assure you of that." 10 said, as he approached 7. "The last one. _Last_." He pointed at 9 for emphasis. "You're free to look anyway. It doesn't bother me, man."

"... Like I was saying," 7 restarted, "that's what we're here for. So let's go." The group broke up into separate teams. 9 and 7 went together, 3 and 4 kept each other close, and 10 searched alone. He wasn't very emphatic about the search in the first place.

The twins immediately took to examining the contents of the Creator's desk; that interested them the most on their first visit. 9 and 7 weren't sure where to search and were aimlessly walking the extent of the lab. 10 sat on a rug in the center of the room and relaxed.

"Aren't you going to help us at all?" 9 asked after he realized 10. "Are you just going to sit there?"

"Um... I don't think there's anything worth finding here." He said calmly as he laid down. "Just chill-lax, dude."

"Chill-lax? What does that even mean?! I don't understand you half the time!"

"Calm down, 9" 7 approached him as she spoke. "He's obviously not as enthusiastic about this as we are. Even though he would never have been found had we not searched here." She glared at 10 as she said the last sentence. "Leave him be."

"Fine." 9 reluctantly backed off and continued his search with 7.

"Dang. She didn't have to say that..." 10 muttered sadly. He wandered further into the house and left the others to search without him.


	4. Chapter 4

Who's Ben

Chapter 4: Where's 10?

* * *

"Well," 7 started. "I think we've searched long enough. There just isn't anything else here." She stared into the closet she found 10 in and sighed. "Why was he even there?"

"I can't really say." 9 answered as he came to comfort her. "But, I'm sure the Creator had a reason. If we keep looking, we're bound to find something." He pointed to the next room. "Who, knows. Maybe 10 has already found something deeper in."

"Oh, 10! I completely forgot about him."

"What?" 9 asked, confused.

"You're right. We should go see if he's found anything yet." She grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the doorway. "Oh, wait. 3! 4!" The duo jumped at the sound of their names. "Come on. We're going to search deeper in." 3 and 4 scurried over to join them and they all trekked into the depths of the house.

The sunlight from the jalousies in the lab slowly diminished as they traveled toward windowless rooms. Soon, they were in complete darkness. They used 3 and 4's eyes as flashlights as they continued.

"I wonder how 10 is doing," 7 whispered. "How did he get through here by himself?" She stepped closer to 9, and closer to the twins' light.

"I'm sure he's just fine," 9 stated pithily. "He couldn't have gotten too.....," the group stopped as they reached a colossal room. ".....lost?" There were hallways and doors leading off in every direction. The lights from the eyes of 3 and 4 poured over the room, revealing more paths snaking through the house. "This building is definitely a lot bigger looking from the outside." 9 said, trying to add a bit of humor to the situation.

"This isn't funny, 9!" 7 stepped in front of him as she spoke. "10 is probably lost somewhere in there." She glanced around at all the possible halls to take. "There's no way we will find him... He was our only clue." The twins stood by her, attempting to cheer her up, all the while sending disapproving glares at 9.

"Well.....," 9 finally started to say. "No use standing around here doing nothing. Let's go look for him." He laid a hand on 7's shoulder. "We'll find him." They started down the first path, into deeper darkness.

Hours passed and still there was no sign of 10. The team was discouraged by their lack of progress as the headed for the second hall. They tried every door and checked in every box, shelf and container. Nothing. They followed the path further, abiding by the walls which turned contiuously left. "Our we going...," 7 hesitated, "... in a big circle?" She finished her sentence as they emerged into the Room of Halls again. "Dammit! They all lead back here! It's all one big trick!" She pounded the wall to vent her anger. "We'll never find him."

"He has to be somewhere," 9 stated as he approached her. "He couldn't have just disappeared." He hugged her intimately as he spoke. "We'll find him." A long silence came over the group as they stood in the opening of the next hall. "We'll keep going until we find 10," 9 continued. "He's one of us now and we can't leave him behind."

Suddenly, the room began to flash. 9 turned to the twins, who were standing in the center of the Room of Halls. Their eyes were flickering and they were pointing at something on the floor. 7 and 9 ran to them and realized what it was that the twins had found. It was a rug. A very small rug, thrown in the middle of the room as if to hide something.

3 and 4 took the initiative and each grabbed one side of the rug. They slowly lifted it, exposing a small, rusty hatch. 9 tugged on the handle, and opened the metal door which uncovered a rickety staircase. It spiraled down into the basement. So far down that they couldn't see, even with the help of the twins' eyes. "You think he might be somewhere down there?," 7 asked as she turned to the twins. They nodded faintly, focusing on the darkness.

"It's settled then," 9 said sternly. "That's where we're going."


	5. Chapter 5

Who's Ben?

Chapter 5: Alphabetical

* * *

Darkness surrounded all but four narrow streaks streaming from the twins eyes as the group ventured down the dilapidatedstairs. It seemed as though they had been walking for hours when they finally stopped. A dim blue light was emanatingfrom a room far to the back. The twins turned off their lights as they approached the mysterious glow. 9 and 7 followed behind them, hand in hand.

Soon, they were in a room engulfed by the blue light. Computers of all shapes and sizes lined the walls and papers covered the floor. "What is this?," 7 asked as she strayed from the group. She stood by a box and tried to read the scrawl on its side. "It says... A, B, C, and D." 9 cocked his head as he looked at the box.

"A, B, C, and D?," he repeated, confused. "What the heck does that mean?"

"I'm glad you asked," a voice called from across the room. "I think I have an answer."

"What? Who's there?" 7 inched closer to the origin of the voice.

"Can't you tell?" Suddenly, the Creator appeared in one of the monitors.

"Ack! The Creator?" 9 yelped. "H-how?"

"I will tell you, my good friend," the Creator proceeded to say. "You've helped me out this whole time. I think I finally have the answer."

"What?" 7 whispered. "Answer to what?"

"Why, to the glitches, of course. I think I've found the reason the trials were glitched."

"What?," 9 and 7 yelled in unison. "What are you talking about?"

"This means I can finally make the final copies. Aren't you glad, my friend?" The Creator picked up a box and put it contents to the screen. "I have everything I need here. Thank you for all your help with the trial. But, I think I can take it from here." He put the box down after her spoke. "To think I can finally start with the first one. I think I'll name him 1."

"What!," the group shouted. "1?"

"I think I'll keep A through D as prototypes. Once again: Thank you for all your hard work. See you on the other side, my good friend." The monitor shut off and a figure was seen on top of it.

"Who's that?," 7 asked with a confused voice.

"Are you kidding?," the figure gasped. "It's the one, the only te- Aah!" the small figure fell from atop the monitor and landed in from of 7. "Ahem... it's me, 10." he said bluntly as he stood.

"10? Is that really you?" She asked cheerfully. "Great! We found you!"

"Well, I'm not the only thing you've found," he said as he pointed to the box. "Didn't you here the Creator? Our prototypes are in that box. Don't you want to see them?" He jumped on top of the box and started opening it.

"Um... we shoudn't..." 7 started. "Well... Okay, my curiosity has the better of me. Let's see them." She jumped on the box and started helping 10 open it. They pulled the top open and peered inside. A weak green glow started flooding from the box. "Ack!" They leaped away and stood beside 9 and the twins.

"Here they come...," 10 stated. A small hand grasped the edge of the box and a petite stitchpunk jumped out.

"Well, hello there, fellow stitch-," it stopped in mid sentence as it twiched. "-punks."

"Huh?"

"I'm the fir-st of all of us. I'm A. Nice mee-ting you all."


End file.
